Arunachal Pradesh remembers Dorjee Khandu

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh on Monday remembered former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu who was killed in a tragic helicopter crash at Tawang last year.

The people of Tawang paid rich tribute to Khandu by marching 7km from Tawang Monastery to his cremation ground at Famla.

About nine thousand people gathered at Tawang monastery this morning and participated in the march, official sources informed.

Earlier at the Monastery, the abbot of Tawang monastery, Guru Rimpoche addressed the gathering and urged them to remember the visionary deeds of Khandu which ushered in an era of prosperity in the state.
He along with monks from Tawang monastery offered prayers for early rebirth of the departed soul in `Monyul` Tawang.

At the cremation ground, 108 butter lamps were alighted by senior monks and public.

A three-day-long ritualistic puja which was initiated by Gyalsay Rimpoche and other senior monks at the private residence of Khandu from April 28 last to mark the first death anniversary of the departed soul ended today.

The Arunachal State Badminton Association (ASBA) observed his first death anniversary at Raj Bhawan here in presence of all the members with great honour, a communiqu said.
Khandu, the former president of ASBA was a big fan of sports and was instrumental in taking Badminton to a new height in the state.

Members of the ASBA paid homage to the departed soul at the Raj Bhawan Badminton Hall and conveyed heartiest condolence to the family members of Khandu.

The chopper carrying Khandu and four others on board crashed in a hillock near Lubuthang immediately after take-off from Tawang helipad on the day.